Mesothelioma Treatment

Your oncologist, or specialist, may offer one or more of the following three primary mesothelioma treatment options: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The type of treatment will depend on the stage and type of mesothelioma and a few other factors such as medical history, age and overall health. Your specialist might also consider additional treatments, including alternative medicine or clinical trials.

At some point, there may be a shift from trying to treat mesothelioma to trying to alleviate pain and reduce stress. Palliative treatments are very similar to the treatments mentioned below – only their goal is to make the patients more comfortable and increase quality of life.

Surgery

Surgical treatment options for mesothelioma patients fall into two categories – diagnostic surgery and palliative surgery. Some surgical treatments fall into multiple categories. For example, paracentesis, a procedure to drain fluid out of the lining of the abdominal cavity, can be considered a diagnostic and palliative surgical option for peritoneal mesothelioma patients.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, induced orally or through an IV, can help to kill cancer cells. It can either be used on its own, or before or after surgery. Chemotherapy drugs often used to treat mesothelioma include Alimta and Cisplatin. They work by targeting cells that rapidly divide by disrupting the process that occurs during cell division. This can result in unpleasant side effects when healthy cells that also rapidly divide are targeted.

If your mesothelioma cancer is localized, meaning it’s contained in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart, then you may be eligible for more aggressive surgeries. For example, there are two main surgeries for pleural mesothelioma. These include a pleurectomy, in which the surgeons try to remove as much of the tumor from around the lungs as they can, and an extrapleural pneumonectomy, in which the lung is removed.

Radiation

Radiation therapy can help to shrink tumors and manage excessive growth. For patients with mesothelioma, radiation is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy and surgical treatments. Better results are often seen in patients diagnosed with pleura mesothelioma compared to peritoneal patients. There are two types of radiation used to treat pleural mesothelioma – external beam radiation and intraoperative radiation.

Multimodal Treatments

While each treatment option has benefits by itself, your mesothelioma specialist may suggest a multimodal approach, or an individually-tailored treatment plan to include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

If the mesothelioma cancer is diagnosed during an early stage and has not yet spread, your specialist may recommend a combination of treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. If the mesothelioma cancer has spread, your doctor may recommend palliative treatments.

If the mesothelioma cancer is diagnosed during an early stage and has not yet spread, your specialist may recommend a combination of treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. If the mesothelioma cancer has spread, your doctor may recommend palliative treatments.

It is important to note that your doctor knows the specifics related to your mesothelioma diagnosis and is the best person to assist you with finding the right place for treatment. Talk to your doctor to find a specialist near you.

Learn more about filing a mesothelioma lawsuit

Filing a mesothelioma lawsuit can help to cover the cost of mesothelioma treatments. Although medical expenses are not covered by the firm, we will work our hardest to obtain the best possible outcome from your mesothelioma case. If you have unanswered questions or concerns about filing a mesothelioma lawsuit, please contact one of our mesothelioma lawyers today.

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